Many of us already know that apple cider vinegar is great for a number of things. It can do a lot of good inside and outside of your body from your skin to weight loss, etc.
As a matter of fact, a few studies have suggested that apple cider vinegar may promote fullness, which can decrease calorie intake for those who suffer from obesity. In a 2022 analysis that looked at seven studies, four out of six short-term studies showed that apple cider vinegar reduced appetite.
In addition, those short-term studies that did show an appetite-suppressing effect used vinegar containing at least 24.6 millimoles per liter (mmol/L) acetic acid. Even more evidence suggesting that apple cider vinegar may slow the rate at which food leaves your stomach, which helps those with obesity.
But some of us take the healing power of apple cider vinegar a little too literally and take too much of it. Remember that age-old saying that “too much of a good thing is bad for you”? Well, it’s true with apple cider vinegar too. Take a look at what happens when you have too much of it.
Side Effects of Apple Cider Vinegar
1. It Can Burn Your Esophagus
Even though researchers in ACS’ Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry found preliminary date that the popular liquid could help fight ulcerative colitis, an inflammatory bowel disease, there is still much to learn. Even though they found that vinegar suppressed inflammation-inducing proteins while improving the gut’s bacterial makeup in mice, too much of it in humans could have a negative effect.
Because apple cider vinegar is so acidic, it could lead to throat irritation. In an extreme example, it could even lead to a burn in the esophagus. One study outlined what happened when an apple cider vinegar tablet got stuck in a woman’s throat for about half an hour: It led to pain, trouble swallowing, and possibly an injury to her esophagus. The study authors concluded that apple cider vinegar could be responsible for acid burns.
While it’s unclear how common these episodes are, many experts, including Dr. Katz and Michelle Jaelin, RD, president of Nutrition Artist in Ontario, Canada, still recommend diluting apple cider vinegar in water before drinking. “It is an acid and can damage the lining of the esophagus if taken straight like a shot,” Jaelin says.
CHECK: Apple Cider Vinegar: 13 Uses For It That Will Change Your Life
2. It Affects Your Blood Sugar
Apple cider vinegar can also have an anti-glycemic effect on blood sugar, meaning it can lower glucose levels in the bloodstream. This may benefit the management of type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance, but people with uncontrolled blood sugar levels could find its use problematic.
Blood sugar may drop to the point of diabetic hypoglycemia. This could deprive the brain of glucose, leading to